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Build a Favicon ICO From Any PNG

A proper .ico holds several sizes in one file, so the browser tab, the bookmark bar, and a Windows shortcut each get a version drawn for them.

Drop a PNG here or click to browse. Square images work best.

Why One ICO Beats One PNG

The .ico format is a container. Inside it sit several complete images, and whatever displays the icon picks the size it needs: 16px in a browser tab, 32px on a bookmark bar, 48px in a Windows folder, 256px on a high-DPI desktop. Serve a single-size icon instead and everything but that one context gets a rescaled, slightly mushy version of it.

This builder redraws your PNG at each size you tick, then packs them into one standards-correct file. Non-square sources are centered on a transparent square rather than stretched.

From logo to live favicon

  1. Start from a square PNG, 256px or larger. (Vector logo? Rasterize it at 512px first.)
  2. Keep 16, 32, and 48 ticked; add 256 if Windows desktop shortcuts matter to you.
  3. Build, download, and upload the file as /favicon.ico in the site root.

Browsers request that exact path by convention, so the icon works even before you add a single line of markup. Add <link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico"> anyway to make it explicit.

Small icons want simple art

At 16px, a wordmark is unreadable and fine detail turns to noise. The favicons that read well at tab size are one bold shape, two colors, no text. Squint at your logo; whatever survives the squint is what belongs in the icon.